Trenton
- The Department of Law and Public Safety
through the Division of Criminal Justice
is seeking public comment on a proposed
amendment to the regulations governing
the Body Armor Replacement Fund Program.
(Proposal PRN 2006-56 to N.J.A.C. 13:80A)
The proposed amendment would permit New
Jersey police and law enforcement agencies
to apply for a special grant to replace
body armor vests in advance of the annual
replacement allotment.
The proposed change to the body armor
grant program follows the issuance of
a Department of Justice (DOJ), National
Institute of Justice (NIJ) Body Armor
Standard Advisory Notice which announced
that body armor made with Zylon® synthetic
fiber are potentially defective. Zylon®-based
body armor have raised officer safety
concerns because some vests have been
reported by DOJ to degrade more quickly
than forecasted, and that degradation
reduces their anti-ballistic capabilities.
The Attorney General’s Office, in
concert with the National Attorney General’s
Association and the U.S. Department of
Justice, has provided detailed information
to New Jersey’s law enforcement
agencies raising safety concerns about
Zylon®-based body armor vests. The
Division of Criminal Justice has provided
a series of reports, advisories, and information
bulletins to New Jersey’s 537 law
enforcement agencies over the past year.
The information recommends the replacement
of Zylon®-based body armor.
The Division of Criminal Justice administers
the State Body Armor Replacement Fund
grant program which offers eligible State
and local law enforcement and correctional
agencies grant money to supplement the
replacement of body armor on a five-year
cycle. Eligible agencies receive minimum
awards of $500. The funds are distributed
according to a pro-rata formula based
on the number of eligible officers. Under
the proposed amendment, the Division of
Criminal Justice could direct that a portion
of the funds be distributed as a special
grant program, notwithstanding the five-year
replacement cycle contemplated by the
State Body Armor Replacement Fund statute
and rules.
The full text of the proposed regulation
is posted on the Department of Law &
Public Safety’s Web site at: www.nj.gov/oag/ruleproposals.htm,
or the New Jersey Division of Criminal
Justice’s Web site at: www.nj.gov/oag/dcj/rulesproposals.
Direct all comments to Heddy Levine-Sabol,
Chief Program Development/Grants Section
(Public Comments), Division of Criminal
Justice, P.O. Box 065, Trenton, New Jersey
08625. Public comment on the proposal
will be accepted until April 22, 2006.
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